HBO's hit series "The White Lotus" has reached a new viewership milestone, drawing 4.2 million U.S. cross-platform viewers for its sixth episode of Season 3.

The episode, which aired on Sunday, March 23, 2025, featured a shocking incest sex scene between brothers Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and Lochlan Ratliff (Sam Nivola). This was a continuation of last week's already controversial event, which saw the brothers passionately kissing after being egged on by Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) during a Full Moon Party event.

This week, "The White Lotus" showed a continuation of the party, which showed them hooking up together with Chloe. As the day progresses, they gradually recall the events of the previous night, including a sexual encounter between the siblings during a threesome with Chloe.

Despite the controversy surrounding the scene, the latest installment, titled "Denials," surpassed the previous record held by the Season 2 finale, which had 4.1 million viewers. This achievement marks a significant moment for the series, as HBO reports that every episode of Season 3 has set new global viewership records. It is also believed that the last two episodes for this season may rank higher if it follows the same viewership trend seen last season, per Variety.

The actors involved expressed their initial shock upon reading the script. Sam Nivola, who plays Lochlan, said: "When I got the part, I remember talking to Patrick Schwarzenegger, and one of his audition scenes was the scene with Chloe [Charlotte Le Bon] where she's like, "Your brother jerked you off last night. You don't remember?"

Despite the controversial nature of the storyline, the show's creator, Mike White, has been praised for his bold storytelling. Nivola defended the plot twist and called the creator a "total genius." The actor also emphasized that the storyline does serve a purpose in fleshing out the characters.